With the KHL season opener drawing near, HC Sibir Novosibirsk put together their annual fan day on Thursday. The day didn’t disappoint, as 22-year-old forward Sergei Shumakov dazzled fans and made the Novosibirsk goaltender go cross-eyed during a shootout.
Shumakov did a backhanded lacrosse-style puck pickup, tossed the puck in the air and then batted it down off the ice and between the goaltender’s legs. By the time Shumakov batted the puck out of the air, the goaltender appears to have no idea what is about to happen.
Take a look at the goal here:
Shumakov worked his way into his first full KHL season last year, though he’s been with the club for five years and has seen some time in the KHL previously, scoring 16 goals and eight assists through 52 games, adding an additional two goals in 12 postseason matches.
The KHL season opens on August 24 with a match between the reigning champion SKA Saint Petersburg and last year’s Continental Cup winners CSKA Moscow.
RELATED: Russian Captain Yekaterina Smolentseva Heads to NWHL